Gun



H. s. BACON GUN Filed Feb. 21, '1941 ,Q .a. v

EEN

INVENTOR.

HSBacon ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 27, 1943 2,3 MSW UNETED STATES FAEENT @FFECE GUN Henry Stuart Bacon, West Roxbury, Mass.

Application February 21, 1941, Serial No. 380,063

3 Claims.

This invention relates to guns and more particularly to firearms of a type wherein cartridges carried by a belt, can be brought in proper succession into firing position.

An object of the invention is to provide a firing mechanism which includes opposed cylinders having peripheral grooves adapted to cooperate in proper succession for the purpose of receiving and closing about the cartridges, each pair of matching grooves serving as a firing chamber and subsequently opening for the purpose of discharging the empty shell.

Another object is to utilize an ammunition belt comprising cartridges clasped by webs of plastic or other material which will quickly separate under heat so that as the shells are, discharged from the gun, they will be free from any portions of the belt which had previously connected them.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a portion of a gun provided with the present improvements and showing a loaded cartridge in firing position.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of an ammunition belt.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates one end portion of the usual rifled barrel of a gun and 2 designates a portion of the stock. Joined to the stock and extended around the back end of the barrel I is a casing 3 divided by a partition 4 so as to provide a working chamber 5 between said partition and the forward end 5 of the casing 3. Extending across this working chamber at points diametrically opposite to the axial center of the barrel I are shafts l and 8 which are parallel to each other. If desired sleeves 9 can be mounted on these shafts and the shaft 1. can be provided with any means whereby it can be rotated intermittently. For example it can have a ratchet wheel It secured thereto for engagement by a pawl II on a short lever l2 extending through a slot 13 in the wall of the working chamber 5. Obviously by oscillating lever I2 the pawl and ratchet will cooperate to impart an intermittent rotation to the shaft 7 and to the sleeve 9 thereon.

Mounted so as to rotate with the sleeve 9 on shaft 8 is a cylinder i l having parallel longitudinal ribs l5 extending therefrom. The outer ends of these ribs are rounded transversely as shown in Figure 2 and the ribs cooperate to form between them deep grooves I 6 the inner end portions of which are substantially semi-cylindrical as shown at ll so as to form portions of the firing chambers hereinafter described.

Mounted for rotation with the sleeve 9 on shaft l is another cylinder [8 having spaced longitudinal ribs E9 the outer ends of which are formed withlongitudinal transversely concave grooves 29 the Walls of which are substantially semi-cylindrical. The outer ends of these ribs I9 are so located and proportioned that each rib will enter and fit snugly within one of the grooves it when the two cylinders are rotated, it being understood that the ribs on the cylinders will act .as teeth to insure simultaneous rotation of the cylinders and transmission of motion from one to the other. Thus each rib [9 on cylinder l8 will enter one of the grooves IS, the semicircular wall of groove 28 cooperating with the semicircular inner end of the groove in which said rib is seated, thereby to form a substantially cylindrical firing chamber as will be apparent by referring to Figure 2.

In order that the walls of each firing chamber shall coincide with the contour of the cartridge to be held therein, it will be noted that, where the cartridge is offset inwardly, the walls of the grooves I6 and 20 are similarly offset to provide shoulders 2|.

The ammunition used in connection with this mechanism consists of regularly spaced cartridges C the shells S of which are joined by webs W formed preferably of a thin flexible plastic which will separate or disintegrate when subjected to a high temperature or when ignited. Normally this web constitutes an excellent connecting medium whereby a belt of ammunition can be handled readily. The casing 3 is provided at one side of the cylinder l4 with an inlet opening 22 while an outlet opening 23 is provided in the casing adjacent the opposite portion of the cylinder l8. Opening 22 is so proportioned as to permit the quick and accurate insertion of one end of an ammunition belt so that the first cartridge of the belt can become seated in the nearest groove l6.

When the cylinder 18 is intermittently rotated in one direction it will transmit intermittent rotary motion to the cylinder M with the result that ultimately the first cartridge of the belt will be brought into position in the firing chamber formed by two interfitting portions of the cylinder as shown in Figure 2. When the cartridge is brought to this position it is properly alined with the bore in barrel I as shown in Figure 1 and the shoulder portion or offset of the cartridge shell is held firmly against the shoulder 2|.

The cartridge is exploded by any mechanism provided for that purpose so that the bullet B will be projected into and through the bore of barrel I. The heat generated by the explosion will result in disintegration of the belt adjacent to the exploded shell or cartridge. Immediately thereafter, during the partial rotation of the cylinders, the next cartridge will be brought into firing position and the grooves in which it becomes seated cooperate to form another firing chamber which holds the second cartridge alined with the barrel bore. The operation already described is then repeated and this occurs successively as the belt is fed into the mechanism. As each shell reaches a point adjacent to the outlet 23, it is delivered therethrough, as will be apparent.

For the purpose of aiding in cooling the cylinders, openings 24 maybe extended therethrough.

Celluloid is one of the plastics which might be used in the formation of the webs.

An obvious qualification of the invention would be to eliminate the barrel 1 and to use the interengaging portions of the rotatable cylinders as the barrel. Under these conditions the cylin ders would be longer than shown in the drawing so that they would extend well beyond the bullets B when fed into the firearm. As the modification merely involves the elimination of the part I and the elongation of the parts l4 and IE, it is not deemed necessary to show the same.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm, opposed cylinders mounted for rotation about parallel axes, means for rotating on of the cylinders, regularly spaced ribs on one of the cylinders providing grooves therebetween of a depth greater than the diameter of a cartridge shell to be used in the firearm, regularly spaced ribs on the other cylinder proportioned to straddle the first named ribs and to enter the grooves, each of said last named ribs, while in a groove, cooperating with the wall of the groove to provide a shell-holding chamber, the ribs on the two cylinders constituting means for transmitting rotary motion from One cylinder to the other, and a barrel having a bore positioned to register with each chamber when a shell is held therein.

2. In a firearm, opposed cylinders mounted for rotation about parallel axes, means for rotating one of the cylinders, regularly spaced ribs on the respective cylinders cooperating to transmit motion from one cylinder to the other, the ribs on one cylinder being recessed to straddle a shell when supplied to the firearm, the ribs on the other cylinder providing grooves therebetween for the reception of the recessed ribs, the grooves between said ribs being of a depth greater than H the diameter of a shell thereby to receive a when seated between ribs of the opposed cylinder,

to provide a shell-holding chamber and to transmit thrust between the cylinders.

3. In a firearm, the combination with a barrel having a bore, of means for feeding cartridge shells successively into position alined with the bore, said means including opposed cylinders mounted for rotation about parallel axes, means for rotating one of the cylinders, spaced ribs on one of the cylinders having shell-receiving grooves, spaced ribs on the other cylinder providing grooves therebetween of a depth to receive a grooved rib and a shell seated therein, thereby to provide a shell-holding chamber alined with the bore in the barrel, said ribs cooperating to transmit rotary motion from one cylinder to the other.

HENRY STUART BACON. 

